1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of controlled positioning of particles of nanoscale size, i.e., nano-objects, on surfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
Directed and precise positioning of nanoparticles is a well known problem. Typically the particles are randomly dispersed in a solution and immobilized on a template surface providing specific interactions with the particles (e.g. electrostatic and dielectric forces, steric and surface chemical interactions). Yet, the helping structures for assembly are often poorly compatible with the aimed functionality. A potential solution is to transfer the particles from a templating surface to a target functional substrate. However, one challenge is to precisely align the particles with existing structures on the target substrate, which is a key to the functionality of the whole assembly. For example, using soft printing stamps, alignment is limited by the metrological placement of the stamp and distortions of the stamp.